What Kind of World Will We Leave for
Willow?
Last month, my
daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and I became a grandparent for the
very first time. My granddaughter's name is Willow Charlotte.
Becoming a
grandparent was a totally different experience than becoming a new parent. Twenty-nine
years after having my daughter (our first child), I now see life in a whole new
light. As a result, I found myself feeling much more philosophical about Willow's birth.
It is a lot easier
to see the big picture, as this time I am not the one responsible for all that
is involved in taking care of this newborn, providing for her well-being and
teaching her how to live in our world.
On February 18, at
Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto there were about 20 babies born. Coming from a
small town, I was surprised by that number at first, but as I began to reflect
I realized that 20 babies were just a very small fraction of all the children born
around the world on that day. I came to realize that the next generation is being
born today. My tiny, beautiful, perfectly formed granddaughter is the next generation. She has come into
this world so genuine, so perfect and so authentic. We are all God's creations
but there is nothing like a teeny baby to make you realize the perfection of
God's work.
The leaders of
tomorrow are being born today. Maybe Willow will be one of them. If these
newborn babies had a developed mind and a higher consciousness as they entered
our world for the first time, what would they say to us about the world we have
created for them?
Would they be
pleased with our progress in all areas of humanity, or would they give us
failing marks? Would they say we have become too materialistic and greedy; too
focused on getting ahead and being competitive? How would they feel about what
we have done with the earth which they will inhabit for the next number of
years? And what about our blatant disregard for Mother Nature in the name of
progress? What would they say about our
efforts toward world peace and cooperation? I believe they would be pleased
with many of our technological advancements, but at what cost have they come?
How can I explain
to Willow and all the beautiful babies being born around the world why we have
made the choices we have over the last number of decades? How will I explain
why we have forsaken our fellow human beings in the name of progress? How can I
tell her that we have often chosen to put technological advancements before
thoughtfulness toward humanity? How can I explain that although we can build a
space station far out in space, we cannot bring about peace on our own planet?
How can I explain that we continue to build weapons of mass destruction so we
can continue to kill each other off in the name of achieving peace? How can I explain
why there are so many people who have so much, while there are so many more who
have next to nothing? How can I explain that not all people are treated equally
and fairly? How can I explain how we have allowed our integrity and openness to be
taken over by manipulation and secrecy?
How would you
explain and justify what you have done in your lifetime to a newborn coming
into the world today? I know I would have a difficult time explaining to a
pure, genuine and authentic human being like Willow, who has just joined
humanity for the first time, how our world works. I would feel guilty telling
her that many people on the planet spend more time taking care of their own
interests than they do considering the greater good of mankind. I would have a
hard time trying to explain how we have put so much pressure on ourselves to
perform that we have forgotten to love and nurture ourselves.
To a certain
extent our world is what it is because we have unconsciously evolved from
generation to generation without truly and deliberately making our own
decisions in life. We have inherited belief systems from generations past and
simply accepted them without proper reflection or choice. However, regardless
of what has transpired in our world up until now, we can change it. We can wake
up and become more conscious of what our world has become and what we have
become. We can realize that the conditioned beliefs that have been handed down
to us throughout the generations can be changed. We can take back our power and
begin to create a new world order where integrity, truthfulness, love,
compassion and peace are the things we value most. We can change our world by
first looking inward to see who we truly are and then by standing up in a
loving way to those who have controlled us for so long. We can find our own
truth and begin to share it with others. We can take back our self worth and
dignity and begin to speak our mind for the things we value most. We can begin
to take better care of ourselves, our environment and those around us. We can
compete less and cooperate more. We can be less greedy and more caring. We can
be less judging and more conciliatory. We can be less closed and more receptive.
We can be less withholding and more sharing. We can change history by changing
ourselves first.
If we begin now,
we can create a better world for Willow and all those of the next generation.
Instead of trying to explain how we created a world we are not proud of, we can
make the world one we are proud of. It is each and every one of us who can make
a difference. If we begin to focus on what we want our world to become we can
make those things a reality. If we begin this journey to make our world a place
of compassion, integrity, caring, peace and love then, those beautiful babies
who were born alongside Willow-the next generation-are sure to continue our
work and make our world a better place.
As Lao Tzu once
said: "A journey of a thousand miles begins a single step." And as Mahatma Gandhi said: "We must be the
change we wish to see in the world." I
truly hope for Willow's sake that we all take this opportunity to take our
first step and that step is to begin to change ourselves in order to make our
world a better place...before it is too late.
Thinking
about the next generation reminded me of a YouTube video entitled "Lost
Generation" that I was sent recently. This video eloquently shows how when our
conditioned beliefs are reversed, anything is possible. While there is much
doom and gloom in the world today - hope is not elusive and the future for
Willow and the rest of her generation can be bright.
To watch this video click here
